Brewer with brew basket having electromagnetic drain hole closure

Abstract

A beverage brewer ( 10 ) having a housing ( 16, 30 ) with source of dispense water ( 37, 39 ) for mixing with beverage ingredient to produce a freshly brewed beverage has an electromagnet ( 76 ) mounted to the housing ( 30 ) and a brew basket assembly ( 32, 34 ) with a drain plug assembly ( 49 ) that is responsive to energization of the electromagnet ( 76 ) to actuate a drain plug assembly to move a drain plug ( 48 ) out of blocking engagement with a drain hole ( 61 ). The drain plug ( 48 ) is attached to a lower end of a plug support member ( 50 ) that has an upper magnetic responsive end ( 51 ) that is received within a hollow core of ( 54 ) of the magnet ( 76 ) when the brew basket assembly ( 32, 34 ) is toolessly mounted to by raising it into operative position where it is held by mating magnetic connectors ( 72, 74 ). During use, the elongate plug support member ( 50 ) is used as a handle to remove a filter assembly ( 60 ) for cleaning.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. In a beverage brewer having a housing with source of dispense water for mixing with beverage ingredient to produce a freshly brewed beverage, the improvement comprising;
 an electromagnet mounted to the housing; 
 a brew basket assembly including
 a brew basket body having an open top located adjacent the electromagnet and a bottom with a drain hole, 
 a drain plug assembly with
 an elongate upstanding drain plug support member, 
 a top end portion of the plug support member with a permanent magnetic material or ferromagnetic material located adjacent the open top of the brew basket body, and 
 a bottom end of the plug support member with a plug engagable with the drain hole to close the drain hole; and 
 
 
 means for removably, toolessly mounting the brew basket to the housing with the top end portion of the draw plug support member in a location to be magnetically energizable by the electromagnet to selectively elevate, the plug to an open position removed from engagement with the drain hole to allow beverage within the brew basket to drain out of the drain hole. 
 
     
     
       2. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  in which
 the brew basket body has a cylindrical upper section and a downwardly, inwardly extending, conical, lower section defining the bottom of the brew basket and having a vertical extent substantially less than that of the cylindrical upper section, and 
 the elongate support member and the drain hole are centrally located relative to brew basket body. 
 
     
     
       3. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  in which the brew basket body has a plug holder that extends downwardly from the bottom and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate drain plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment. 
     
     
       4. In a beverage brewer having a housing with source of dispense water for mixing with beverage ingredients to produce a freshly brewed beverage, the improvement comprising:
 an electromagnet mounted to the housing; 
 a brew basket assembly including
 a brew basket body haying an open top and a bottom with a drain hole, 
 a drain plug assembly with
 an elongate drain plug support member, 
 a top end portion of the plug support member with a permanent magnetic material or ferromagnetic material, and 
 
 
 a bottom end of the plug support member with a plug engagable with the drain hole to close the drain hole; 
 
       a filter assembly snugly mounted within the brew basket body, with a mounting hole through which the elongate plug support member is slidably received; and
 means for removably, toolessly mounting the brew basket to the housing with the top end of the drain plug support member in a location to be magnetically energizable by the electromagnet to selectively elevate the plug to an open position removed from engagement with the drain hole to allow beverage within the brew basket to drain out of the drain hole. 
 
     
     
       5. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which the filter assembly includes a reinforcing collar surrounding the mounting hole and the elongate drain plug support member. 
     
     
       6. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which the filter assembly at least partly supports the plug support member in an upright alignment. 
     
     
       7. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which the brew basket body has a plug holder that extends downwardly from the bottom and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate drain plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment. 
     
     
       8. The beverage brewer of  claim 7  in which the brew basket body has a plug holder that extends downwardly from the bottom and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate drain plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment. 
     
     
       9. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which the filter assembly includes a planer disk of metallic filter mesh surrounding the mounting hole. 
     
     
       10. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which
 the brew basket body has a cylindrical upper section and a conical lower section, and 
 the filter assembly has circular shape that snugly fits within the upper section and is removably supported by the conical lower section at a junction between the upper section and the lower section. 
 
     
     
       11. The beverage brewer of  claim 4  in which the elongate drain plug support member carries a blocking member beneath the mounting hole to prevent the passage of the bottom end of the support member to pass through the mounting hole to enable the elongate plug support member to be used as a handle to remove the filter assembly from without the open top of the brew basket body. 
     
     
       12. In a beverage brewer having a housing with source of dispense water for mixing with beverage ingredient to produce a freshly brewed beverage, the improvement comprising;
 an electromagnet mounted to the housing; 
 a brew basket assembly including
 a brew basket body having an open top and a bottom with a drain hole, 
 a drain plug assembly with
 an elongate drain plug support member, 
 a top end portion of the plug support member with a permanent magnetic material or ferromagnetic material, 
 a bottom end of the plug support member with a plug engagable with the drain hole to close the drain hole, and 
 
 
 
       a central hollow core around which the electromagnet is wound with a downwardly facing opening within which the top end portion of the plug support member is slidably received; and
 means for removably, toolessly mounting the brew basket to the housing with the top end of the drain plug support member in a location to be magnetically energizable by the electromagnet to selectively elevate the plug to an open position removed from engagement with the drain hole to allow beverage within the brew basket to drain out of the drain hole. 
 
     
     
       13. The beverage brewer of  claim 12  including a guide for guiding the top end portion of the plug support member into mating slidable receipt within the downwardly facing opening. 
     
     
       14. The beverage brewer of  claim 13  in which hollow core is cylindrical and the guide is truncated conical. 
     
     
       15. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  in which the plug, has a downwardly, inwardly extending conical end with a point for receipt within the drain hole. 
     
     
       16. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  in which the bottom end of the plug support member above the plug has a plurality of outwardly extending vanes. 
     
     
       17. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  including a drain hole plug holder that extends downwardly from the bottom of the brew basket and is conformed to snugly receive and thereby support the bottom end of the plug support member. 
     
     
       18. The beverage brewer of  claim 17  in which
 the drain plug holder has an upper cylindrical section, and 
 the bottom end of the plug support member has a plurality of outwardly extending radial vanes for snug slidable receipt within the drain plug, support member, 
 gaps between the vanes providing passageways for beverage to flow past the bottom end portion of the plug support member when the drain hole is open. 
 
     
     
       19. The beverage brewer of  claim 18  in which the drain plug holder has a downwardly, inwardly extending section located beneath the cylindrical section of the drain plug holder that terminates in the drain hole. 
     
     
       20. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  in which the brew basket body has a plug holder that extends downwardly from the bottom and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate drain plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment. 
     
     
       21. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  including a source of condensed air pressure and an inlet located above the open top of the brew basket body to pressurize the interior of the brew basket body with the compressed air pressure when the drain hole is open. 
     
     
       22. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  which the brewer housing and the brew basket assembly have mating connectors that enable connection of the top of the brew basket to the brewer housing by vertically elevating the brew basket body into connected relationship with the brewer housing without the need for relative lateral movement. 
     
     
       23. The beverage brewer of  claim 22  in which the mating connectors are magnetic connectors carried in part by a collar extending laterally outwardly from the brew basket body adjacent the open top. 
     
     
       24. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  including a filter assembly mounted within the brew basket body with a mounting hole through which the support member passes for at least partly supporting, the elongate drain plug support member in an upright position within the brew basket body. 
     
     
       25. The beverage brewer of  claim 1  including means for at least partly supporting the elongate drain plug support member in an upright position with a plug holder that extends downwardly from a bottom of the brew basket assembly and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate dram plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment.